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THE
MASTER OF THE PINCH SHOT
By Kelvin Sampson, Indiana
It began in 1959 and forty-five years and 633 wins
later it has come to a conclusion. One of the best,
Hugh Durham decided to call it a career.
It is almost impossible to encapsulate his entire
career into one column. I would need a lot of paper
and a publisher to really do the man justice. To
state that he was a great coach only begins to tell
the Hugh Durham story, as he was much more than just
a teacher of the game.
I was fortunate enough to meet coach Durham, while I
was coaching at Washington State. What immediately
struck me was his willingness to reach out to all
the young coaches, like myself.
Ours is a very demanding profession, which often
does not allow a lot of time for family and friends,
let alone young aspiring coaches. But Hugh always
found time for everything. To use a coaching
expression, Hugh always had great spacing.
In all walks of life, some like to address the next
generation to satisfy their own egos and further
their own cause, but not Hugh. He only sought to
satisfy an appetite for basketball and to further
the careers of others. And he was always committed
to doing the right thing.
For all of his success on the court, coach Durham
never sought out attention and personal accolades.
He’s a product of a generation that emphasized
teaching and the molding of tomorrow’s leaders.
Seeking attention just never fit into the Hugh
Durham equation.
His quiet and reserved demeanor is the biggest
reason that most college basketball fans only know
the name and not the accomplishments. Not many are
aware that Hugh coached two different programs to
the Final Four, taking Florida State and Georgia.
It’s a feat that eleven other coaches can put on
their resume, but only coach Durham can lay claim to
taking two programs that had never previously been
on college basketball’s biggest stage. But those
treks to the Final Four could have easily never
happened. Interestingly enough, Hugh nearly chose a
different path.
When Hugh graduated from Eastern High (Louisville,
Kentucky), in 1955, he had a football scholarship to
play at the University of Kentucky. At that time, UK
was a football power. The legendary Paul "Bear"
Bryant had led them to three straight bowl games,
including an Orange Bowl win over Bud Wilkinson's
Oklahoma Sooners.
Despite his tremendous success, coach Bryant left
the Blue Grass State for greener pastures. He joked
that while coach Adolph Rupp was given a Cadillac,
he received a cigarette lighter for his successes on
the football field.
Blanton Collier succeeded Bryant and recruited Hugh
as a halfback. He had actually signed a
letter-of-intent to play college football for the
Wildcats. Fortunately for the game of college
basketball, Hugh would later change his mind, opting
for Florida State and a career in basketball.
But basketball and football were not the only sports
in which coach Durham excelled. Twenty-five years
after passing on football, Hugh was a dominating
force on the court. Not the basketball court, but
the racquetball court.
He will downplay it, but the fact is that he was
actually one of the top-ranked racquetball players
in America. It was something that I learned the hard
way.
I ran into to Hugh on the recruiting trail and
noticed that he had his racquet with him. Being a
young and somewhat naive coach, I assumed that he
just enjoyed a good workout. As I would soon find
out, it was me who got the workout.
He was the master of the “pinch shot” and he
literally ran me ragged. I felt like I was on the
auto bond, racing around trying to return his serve.
That was over twenty years ago, but I sure wouldn’t
look forward to stepping onto the court against him
today. He may be sixty-seven years of age, but I am
quite certain that he is still sneaky quick.
Unfortunately our paths didn’t cross nearly as much
on the basketball court. Given his success on the
smaller court, that is probably a good thing.
One of the great coaches of our time, coach Durham’s
success on the court is comparable to any, but his
true legacy is what he did for so many. From the
hundreds of young men who came through his programs
to the countless number of coaches he took the time
to visit with.
Everyone that crossed his path, over the past
forty-five years, is better for it.
CollegeInsider.com has already contacted
Jacksonville University about naming one of its
postseason awards after coach Durham. That is an
outstanding idea. And I will certainly be a part of
any committee that selects a recipient of the Hugh
Durham Award.
The fabric that is Hugh Durham isn’t easily found.
The game will certainly miss him.
Be sure to visit Coach Sampson's official website,
KelvinSampson.com,
which is maintained by CollegeInsider.com. |
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